Feedback on Noble Projects

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Noble projects provide some motivation for engaging in thematic RP, by serving as a framework for accumulating prestige and impacting the state of the city through public works. I like how the system is gamified and how the player has some control over the risk/reward. I also like how nobles now have some use for their IP -- and a good reason to finagle for more and engage in the support game. I will definitely be submitting more projects in the future and will be experimenting with different angles and metrics.

On the other hand, the system feels a bit shallow in that it focuses heavily on the off-screen end result of the project (namely, the pre-written IC Event) without doing a whole lot to encourage or promote actual RP among nobles. In fact, I think the system in some ways undermines the RP aspect altogether by giving away too many details too early.


STICKING POINTS:

1) The IC Event describing the project's success is apparently visible to the entire pbase while the project is in progress. Like, serious spoiler alert. This means that absolutely no effort is required to actively seek out those details in-game before making a decision to support/subvert, and also there's absolutely no effort required on the part of the sponsor to make them known. Everyone can just know, ahead of time, exactly what success looks like, which in my opinion takes a great deal of the fun out of the actual RP. I get that a noble project would likely be a very visible thing, but there's potentially nothing left to share with would-be supporters that they don't already know. It also really cuts down on one's ability to say one thing and do another, which is a hallmark of intrigue.

2) Writing about the successful conclusion of my project even before I started lobbying for support felt pretty presumptuous and, if I'm being honest, even made me feel a bit apprehensive. How can I describe the exciting details of who and what all was involved if the fun hasn't even happened yet? Same thing regarding the optional Lore field. I can understand how having these things in advance might make it easier for staff, but it sure makes the whole process feel abstract and detached: like it's about the offscreen success/failure and not about the RP itself.

3) Finally, making the IC Success Event visible to the entire pbase ahead of time, but not allowing the entire pbase to actually participate in the direct support/subvert aspects of the system, seems like a great way to rub other players' noses into the fact that they're not being included. Honestly, I think there's enough of that happening ICly (where it's themely and valid) that we don't need to reinforce it through an OOC system.


SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

1) Make the project POLCA a little more like the Storytelling POLCA. In addition to submitting a success event (which remains semi-private while the project is in progress), allow the player to also provide a public hook that invites others to investigate or to get involved, and provides widely-available information about how the project is being advertised, the plans, or what is known at the start. Maybe even automatically pass it to the rumor system.

(e.g. Word is spreading through Lithmore that Noble JoeBob is sponsoring a project to fix the city's bridges. In addition to seeking support from among the city's notables, Noble JoeBob is also looking for suitable architects and stoneworkers to involve in the project.)

This would ensure that the actual RP isn't spoiled beforehand by a pre-written IC Event, and would allow us to make things friendly and more inviting toward folks who can't participate directly in the system (but who could potentially share their limited or purchased influence).

2) I don't know how this would work within the confines of the code, but I'd like to be able to edit my IC Event before it gets posted to the boards, so that I can make sure it reflects how the RP around the project actually seemed to go. A lot can happen in two weeks! How can I talk about Miss Scarlett being a huge surprise supporter of JoeBob Noble's amazing project if I had to write the whole post in advance? Similar thing with the lore entry. If, after the conclusion of my project, my IC Event hasn't changed, I swear I must be doing it wrong, because that sounds boring as all get out, to me. Adventure is in the unexpected. One destination but potentially many paths. "Yes, Milord JoeBob, I'll support your project, but only if I get to take most of the credit for its success."

3) Maybe give "op" Troubadours access to the IC Event portion of the project description for free while the project is in progress, so that they have something to talk about and can consider themselves "in the know"? I like that Troubs can pay to see the contributors, but given that there typically just aren't that many nobles around to potentially support or subvert a project, I can't see the list being very interesting most of the time. Most of the IP for a successful project is probably going to come from guildleaders sharing their influence.


INFORMATION MISSING FROM THE HELPFILE:

(I wasn't around for the spec, so this is all fresh for me.)

1) The project support/subvert commands can only be used by members of the nobility. Important detail.

2) The effect on city metrics starts to apply at nightly rollover, on the day the project successfully reaches its IP goal. This means a project bonus can take effect mid-support-cycle, and I'm assuming can end mid-cycle as well...? Really, it's not clear.

3) The cost for a Troubadour to review the list of contributors is a whopping 100 silver and must be paid each time they want to check the list.

4) Any inkling of what is required to increase one's prestige would be nice. Is it number of successful projects? Overall IP dumped into metrics? Automatically calculated or staff-determined?

5) Ways for non-nobles to participate, such as by sharing purchased or accumulated IP with the noble sponsor (or, alternatively, his enemy). See HELP IMPROVE and HELP INFLUENCE.

6) How long do projects stay in the projects list? For all time? And if so, does the supporter/subverter list remain accessible for all time, as well?

7) What is the purpose of the "project renew" command? Is that for a failed project, a recurring project...?

8) After a project has been deemed successful, the noble cannot start another until the effect of their successful project has worn off (2 weeks). (Not sure if failed projects carry the same limitations.) This means that, realistically, a noble can only expect to engage in about 1 (successful) project per month, due to the 1-2 weeks it takes to campaign for a project, and the 2 weeks it stays into effect.


ADVICE FOR OTHER NOBLES:

The system may not work well for all kinds of projects, such as those that focus on the effects of on-screen events, due to the fact that your "success event" can post before you've actually concluded your RP. (If you're careful about your planning around the bi-monthly rollover, you could potentially hoard your IP until after an event has taken place, but you'd still have no control over the IP other nobles submit directly themselves.) Therefore, I would advise first-time users of the system to focus on "background" projects that can be RP'd about and around but that don't focus on strictly scheduled activities.

[Taunya]

Good feedback! I agree that the project reveals too many details, I think there should be a description on who is running the project and what the project claims to do, but as-is, no one could do a project that negatively affects a metric.

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

The project sponsor can actually be hidden, but I do think pulling off an inverted effect would be difficult.

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

Also, I forgot to add a thank you to Azarial and the other Staff for getting this system into the game. I (obviously) don't think it's perfect yet, but I do appreciate all the hard work that has gone into it thus far.

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

UPDATED the main post with additional helpfile suggestions/questions.

[Starstarfish]

I do admit that confusion on the "concluding event" being posted as an IC Event before the project starter might or might not complete the coordinating on-grid actions can lead to confusion on whether or not the event mentioned did or did not happen already. It led to some recent confusion that could have made things slightly sticky in RP.

[Kuzco]

Agreed fully with you. As Poet Laudate I... am truly not involved or paying attention to noble projects much. I just suggest this or that rich brat to do a project and that's it. The short term duration of the effect, the whopping 100s for troubs, and the too-available info turn me off.

But I admit it's a great, engaging idea, and it can be improved.

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

And my latest question:

If someone sponsors a project with their "visibility" toggled to "no," and his/her name isn't all up in the IC Event... do they still get prestige?

How does one gain prestige for something if they don't take the credit?

[The_Last_Good_Dragon]

And my latest question:

If someone sponsors a project with their "visibility" toggled to "no," and his/her name isn't all up in the IC Event... do they still get prestige?

How does one gain prestige for something if they don't take the credit?

I definitely agree with this — that is, that if you aren't publicly affiliated with the project as a noble, that you shouldn't get the prestige.

Right now, my main input as an outsider is that these projects seem just a little bit too easy to succeed. While I'm obviously not privy to the behind-the-scenes aspects of those who are running these projects (and I don't want at all to invite the idea that they aren't working hard enough to get them to succeed, or that they should be working harder!!) it just seems like the Projects are succeeding at a too-generous clip. I think the only failed Project so far was for a noble who was inactive for a majority of the time the project was open. Again, I don't know if the people involved really are just putting in the super-solid RP to get the IP involved, but maybe consider tweaking the values upwards to ensure they require a real effort to accomplish.

As it is, people still don't really have anything "worthwhile" to spend IP on to compete with the Projects. IP can be given to allies to help influence city metric votes, and you do get silver from it, but I don't feel like either of those approach the RP benefits of getting on-board a noble project and currying favor with them by directing your IP there. It'd be nice if those other options felt like a good competition for allocating personal resources vs the Projects (or just make Projects that much harder, as mentioned above).

[Kinaed]

Adding this to Staff Talking Points for our next meeting. Thanks for the feedback, everyone!